Return
by Shelkesamurai
Summary: Return is a story based from Amnesia: The Dark Descent, where a mysterious woman, our main character Arusenna, travels to Brennenburg, to find Alexander. Her motives are unknown to all but herself. DanielxArusenna AlexanderxArusenna (In process of being revamped.)
1. Chapter 1

Into the Nothing

CH.1 of Return

Arusenna stood silently amongst the trees, the whistling of her portal collapsing disturbing the serene, gray peace for only a moment. The forests surrounding Castle Brennenburg were thick, and it was evident that even with all the chaos around it, this hidden place was kept in peaceful splendor. Yet…something within it stirred…a darkness so malicious, it made Arusenna's skin crawl, and she felt a swelling in her heart as she realized she would have to put an end to it.

With a deep exhale, and sheathing her blade, she began the trek into the vast Castle. Little did she know, what awaited her…

( Elsewhere…)

Darkness began to take hold once more, as a man stumbled through the vast hallways of Brennenburg. He tried desperately, to remember something…what was it?

"Don't forget…some things mustn't be forgotten! The..Shadow hunting me. I must hurry." He mumbled, every step forward feeling heavier, as if someone had tied lead weights to his legs.

"My name is Daniel. I live in London at…at…Mayfair! What have I done? This is crazy! Don't forget. Don't forget! I must stop him…Focus!" he forced out, gritting his teeth and he forced himself forward. He could not even remember why he felt like this…why his mind was so weak.

He trudged into a vast room, red rose petals falling in between holes in the wall. He could feel his legs getting ready to give out, staring blankly up at the silver light shone through the glass windows.

"My name is….is…I am…Daniel." The words rolled off his tongue as if there was a thick paste in his mouth, then finally, his mind was lost, wrapped in shadow, as he fell to the floor.

(Present Day)

Arusenna had managed to find her way into the castle through a side entrance. Or rather…a hole she had blown through the side. The castle was so old, a mere gust of wind was powerful enough to knock old stone loose. She wandered through dark hallways, paying no mind to the groans and echoes of the castle. Then…she heard the rustling sound of footsteps. Listening harder, she could hear the lull of a heartbeat…heavy breathing…

She rushed towards the sound, dashing through corridors, and flying through doors, until she was met with a door that was locked. She jerked the brass knob several times, frustrated by the device. She could hear the steps coming closer..

Finally, she stepped back, gathered her energy, and pointed at the door. "Open!" she cried, icy wind from behind her rushing forward, and sending the door nearly off its hinges. She heard a startled cry, and as she emerged from the doorway, only saw the hint of a leg, before the sound of fearful fleeing became apparent.

"Stop!" she yelled, pursuing the mysterious figure, easily getting in front of it. He did not seem to see her, as she brought her palm up, striking him across the face hard. The man fell like a dead weight towards the ground and she grimaced.

"Hmm…I suppose that wasn't the –best- course of action." She muttered, hefting the man up and leaning him against a wall, waiting for him to wake.

She glanced around pondering the idea of simply leaving him there, but something about him…what was it? She stared at his face, and jumped as a black skull appeared over it, hissing at her before vanishing.

"Well that explains where the damned darkness was coming from…" she said, taking in deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She held a hand in front of the man's chest, muttering a power word and spreading her fingers wide. The black skull appeared again, this time hovering above the man's head.

"What are you?" she asked it, her ward putting a barrier between her, and it. It growled menacingly at her, chattering in a tongue she could not understand. She probed the entity's energies, trying to pick apart what it was saying by the emotions floating off its words. She could not understand much, but she could glean enough that this man had obviously done something to wrong the spirit in some way.

The man awoke suddenly, and she pulled her hand back quickly. She looked up to find the skull had vanished, and settled her gaze on the man. He stared back at her, frozen. His eyes were lost, and as she attempted to delve into his mind for answers, she only found a black mess of fragmented memories.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone gentle, as not to startle him further. He looked down at his hands, his mouth moving to try and form words.

"I-I…don't know. I can't remember my name…I don't know where I am." He said, his tone soon becoming flustered. She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Try to stay calm, please. I heard you wandering around here before you blacked out. Do you remember what you were doing?" she inquired, personally thinking it better to let the man think it was his own fault that he passed out.

He stood shakily, seeming to forget she was there entirely, as he began walking. She followed him silently. Nearly an hour of silence passed between them, as Arusenna followed the deranged man, who seemed to be petrified by everything going on around him. He had collapsed twice, since they had begun, and Arusenna had to force herself to merely observe, and not help the man to walk.

Soon, they came upon a room, filled with various vials of unrecognizable liquids. Upon a single shelf, there were several flasks of a pinkish liquid, that seemed to produce a glow all its own. She had noticed droplets of it on the ground as they had proceeded through the castle, making her way to examine it as the man was left to his own devices.

He sat at the single desk in the room, picking up a small, torn piece of paper, reading it aloud. His voice was rich, and slightly labored. He obviously had not spoken for a long time…

"19th of August, 1839

I wish I could ask you how much you remember. I don't know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink.

Don't be afraid Daniel. I can't tell you why, but know this, I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact. There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right.

God willing, the name Alexander of Brennenburg still invokes bitter anger in you. If not, this will sound horrible. Go to the Inner Sanctum, find Alexander and kill him. His body is old and weak, and yours is young and strong. He will be no match for you.

One last thing. A shadow is following you. It's a living nightmare-breaking down reality. I have tried everything, and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can.

Redeem us both Daniel. Descend into the Darkness where Alexander waits, and murder him.

Your Former Self,

Daniel."

As Daniel finished reading, he felt the cold bite of metal at his throat, and he froze. Arusenna had been listening intently.

"Well, sir Daniel. It would seem the end of your journey has already come, unless you would be willing to strike a deal." She whispered, gripping the hilt of her sword tight.

Of all the things that could happen to her in this alien world, this had to be it. Only hours after arriving, her goal was already jeopardized.

Daniel remained still, chuckling darkly as his mind began to remember.

"And you, nameless woman, have a lethal weapon aimed at my throat. Do you think I'm going to object to whatever you propose?" he echoed back, feeling a slight twinge of anger. Yes..the name Alexander did indeed bring back hints of bitter anger.

Arusenna swallowed the urge to slice his head off then and there, nodding.

"I know not, the wrongs Alexander may have committed against you, but I have spent a great deal of effort to find this place, and bring him back to me. He is…important. So, I propose to you this. In exchange for Alexander's life, I will protect you from this…Shadow you spoke of in that letter, and we will both find the answers we seek. We will descend through this darkness together. Agreed?" she spoke firmly, her blade following his neck as Daniel moved to stand up.

Daniel did not hesitate, holding his hand out to her and nodding. He did not want to trust this woman, but it would be foolish to turn down an offer for help. After all…even he could sense the wrongness of this place, and the Shadow that constantly lingered in his mind.

"Agreed. Might I have your name?" he asked, his dark eyes meeting her alien golden optics.

Arusenna withdrew her sword, sheathing it and bowing her head to him. "My name is Arusenna." She nodded towards a misshapen book on the shelf, moving it and revealing a very predictable entrance to another room.

"We should be going." She ordered, stepping through the dusty doorway, and unto the cold, moaning Brennenburg.

It is here, that their Descent unto madness, begins…


	2. Chapter 2

Return

Amnesia: the Dark Descent

Chapter 2: First Memory

_**1: "Do you not wonder what it would be like to travel to another world?" A man's voice spoke lowly, as if someone were listening in the peaceful quiet of the beach.**_

_**Arusenna peered at the man worriedly. "Is this world truly so repulsive that you would wish to be elsewhere?" she inquired. **_

_**The man shook his head. "By the Divine, no. I would never intentionally abandon this place." He placed his hand over hers, smiling. "To abandon this place, would be to abandon you. I would never do that." He whispered…**_

Arusenna's vision swam as she shook herself from her daydream. Daniel wandered aimlessly in front of her, seemingly drawn to a passage, as if he himself was taken by a memory.

Daniel did this often, and Arusenna found it, to say the least, unnerving.

"Then again…I am truly so different?" she thought to herself, striding towards Daniel.

"What do you see, friend?" she spoke, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. He jumped, and turned, before striding silently down a set of stone steps, and opening a door.

Both of them froze briefly at the sight they beheld. In their way, was a wall of flesh. Arusenna moved to examine the substance, but when her fingers neared it, it inched away, as if the barrier had a sentient mind of its own.

Daniel turned on his heel, walking in the opposite direction.

"Daniel! Where are you going? Did you remember something just now?" Arusenna wondered out loud, following. He made a gesture for her to be quiet , and she scoffed, following him into a cave-like hallway. To the left was another, long hallway, marked with a wooden plaque. "Wine Cellar." To the right, "Laboratory."

Daniel chose right, and Arusenna obediently followed. She could sense little spirits floating about the castle, lost in the twisting power of Alexander's wards. Arusenna could not gauge how old they were, but they were tarnished, which meant Alexander had been slacking in his arcane talent, or he had been here for more than a century…

Daniel backed into her as a draft of wind blew into them, causing the castle to howl, and she cursed, planting her foot so she didn't fall over.

"It is nothing but the wind, you fool!" she hissed, stepping in front of him and striding quickly into the Laboratory. She did not even bother with the old, rotting wooden steps, leaping over the railing and landing with such grace she barely disturbed the dust on the floor. Daniel peered in total amazement, before she gestured for him to come down. He himself did not try what she had, merely taking the stairs.

"What is this place?" he breathed, looking around.

Arusenna brought up their lantern. "Judging by the look…and the plaque on the door…I'd say this is a Laboratory." She spoke, stepping down another set of wooden steps, and into a decent sized room with countless chemicals lining numerous shelves on the wall. Her eyes widened as she sensed something familiar, and looked down into a rusty grotto.

The water below splashed violently and she covered her mouth.

"A Kaernk…? What in the Divine's name possessed Alexander to bring –you- here?" she spoke to herself. Daniel stepped in behind her.

"What're you muttering about?" he asked, and she looked back at him, before looking back down at the grotto. The water had settled, and the creature that was once there was gone. Had she imagined it?

They both set themselves to the task of rummaging around for anything useful. Arusenna stopped as she found a note, titled "Early Alchemy Experiment."

She scanned over the notes, shaking her head as she read over the part where it stated "attempt to produce artificial vitae". Even the alchemists in her world could not do such a thing, why did Alexander think he could do any better?

"Hrm…a powerful acid. We could use that to-"

"-get through the barrier in the Refinery. We just need a few chemicals." Daniel spouted quickly, counting off with his fingers. "We'll need Calamine, Orpiment, Cuprite, and Aqua Fortis."

Arusenna blinked at him, turning. "How would you know that?"

He looked to his left, as if watching someone walk by him. "I remembered." He said, stepping around her.

"And, if memory serves, which in my case, I doubt it will, the Calamine should be right here!" he rattled off quickly, and Arusenna found it hard to understand him.

Daniel knelt, opening the cabinet to a desk, pocketing a tinderbox and pulling out a dusty stone cylinder.

"What is this?" he questioned, and Arusenna looked at it, her eyes boggling.

It was a memory preserver, the stone sides of it were carved in elaborate script, and inlaid into the top, was a pearlescent blue gem. It still radiated with power, and she snatched it away from him. The moment she touched it, her vision went white, and she could hear a distraught, pained voice.

"One day I will return. If it wasn't for the thought of you, my love, I wouldn't be able to go on. When I find myself doing terrible things, I take comfort in you. As long as I am able to think of you and long for a life together, I know I'm better than the others. I weep for them, they lust for power without restraint, where I only crave fair judgment and a safe return."

The stone preserver fell from her fingers as the memory came to an end, and her vision returned. She swallowed hard and closed her eyes to keep tears from escaping. She doubled over as the void within her soul shuddered with the sound of _**his**_ voice, and she covered her mouth, trying to muffle to sound of unrestrainable sobs.

She could feel hands on her shoulders, shaking her. The sound of Daniel's voice, asking what was wrong with her seemed so far away. Only the words of that memory echoed in her head, her mind slowly curling in on itself, until she finally blacked out.

(( 2:))

Daniel did all he could to revive Arusenna, but after she had touched the stone artifact, she was frozen. He peered at it with worried eyes, slowly edging away from it and standing up. He looked around, sacrificing one of the tinderboxes to light a candle, so if the woman did indeed wake up, she'd have some light. He knew he had to keep going, despite what this woman may have wanted with Alexander, the wretch was dead to him, and he needed to find the quickest way through that flesh barrier. The flashback he had seen of Alexander, told him that the Refinery would lead him to the Inner Sanctum.

He turned from the comatose form of Arusenna, lighting his lantern and returning to the crumbling chamber above the Laboratory. He knew from a note he had found that the Wine Cellar, which was where the chemicals he needed were being preserved, was locked, and the key he needed could be located in the Archives. Parts of his mind lit up as he remembered the countless hours he spent in the Archive, reading book after book, of History, Science, and Mathematics. Alexander possessed a nearly endless supply of books, not even found in museums.

As he ascended the stairway to the Archive, the castle shook violently, and a loud roaring filled his ears. For a split second, all around him was covered in sick, pulsating meat that seemed to reach for him. He cried out in fear, rushing through the Archive door, just before a meaty claw could grab hold of his ankle. He slammed the door shut, leaning back against it and breathing heavily.

The empty Archive before him lay bathed in pitch darkness, and the low droning moan of the wind outside only made it worse. Soon, he mustered the courage to venture within and in time, he came upon a vast room, filled with old paintings, and a piano. The light from outside was comforting, and he allowed himself to relax a little, striding with a bit more courage towards the next doorway.

Something let out a sickening, low moan, and he froze, peering at the doorway fearfully. He listened for footsteps, looked for any signs of life, but there was nothing. Chills ran up his spine as he heard the same noise from behind him, and he forced himself to move.

"So…c-cold.." he breathed, rubbing his arms in the futile effort to warm himself. It seemed like hours passed, as he wandered through the endless rooms of the Archives. He came across a small scrap of paper that looked as if torn from a journal. Reading over its contents, he could not really make sense of it. Until he came across another room, this room bathed in the silver light from outside. A cascade of rocks had crashed in from the stonework above. Daniel did what he had done in all the other rooms, look for lantern oil, tinderboxes, and a key. He found the final piece of the diary entry he had been reading. As he read the words, his mind fell into a powerful memory.

For many sickeningly long moments, he could not breathe. His mind panicked and his heart raced, but something was able to soothe him slightly. There was a breathtaking blue glow at the end of the chamber he had been locked inside, and he crawled towards it, forcing himself to stand and cupping his hands over it.

He awoke with a shock through his system. "the Orb!" he exclaimed, immediately looking around like a startled puppy. He couldn't remember what significance the Orb had, but it felt familiar to him…

He shook his head, stepping out of the room and glancing to his right. There were some old bricks loose. With little effort, he moved them and climbed through the hole in the wall. The moment he set foot within, he was assailed with another memory, a trick to the room that would somehow lead him to the key he needed. He followed the same sequence he saw Alexander perform, and sure enough, a bookcase slid open and revealed a secret room. He saw the key and snatched it off the desk, immediately regretting his quick action as the door behind him heaved, something smashing into it and growling. He leapt into the closet behind him, closing his eyes tight as he heard whatever manner of beast it was step into the room. He could hear its gurgling, unsteady breathing, before the creature shuffled out of the room. He took a moment to breathe, before slowly edging out of the closet, and tip-toeing into the room. He rushed through the rooms with his prize as fast as he could, edging around the last corner before he heard a loud growl, and he caught a glimpse of the creature. It shambled away from him on two mangled legs. Its left arm dangled uselessly, and it bulged as if tumurous. Dirty, four-inch black claws stuck out of the tattered appendage, and he swallowed lightly, hiding behind the corner, hoping wherever it was headed, it would steer clear of where he needed to go.

When the coast was clear, he snuck through the remaining hallway, speeding up as he heard the same growls from before. He rushed through the exit door, his hand gripping tight to the key, praying the beast did not see nor hear him. He felt a sense of relief as nothing followed him out, but the victory was short lived, as the Shadow reappeared once again, roaring in all its fury, spewing blood and meat onto the walls to bar his way. He stepped over it as best he could, barely getting his foot out of the way in time, before a pulsating globule violently lashed out for it.

He dashed away from the meat ridden corridor, running for the Laboratory. His head and heart pounded, and he could feel his whole body shivering…

((3:))

Arusenna had fitful nightmares in the time that she was unconscious. She saw fragments of past events.

_**A dark room, filled with turquoise fire. She could feel her arms being restrained as she cried out for something. And the most prominent of them all… She remembered reaching for Alexander, before his hand vanished and she was pulled away by some unseen force. **_

She awoke screaming.

"NO!"

She worked to calm herself. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. Tears she could not control rolled down her cheeks as she blinked, and she buried her face in her hand. She wanted nothing more than to take her wards down and let her presence be known to Alexander. She wanted to embrace him after centuries of being apart. But there were things she needed to know first…she could not let Alexander know of her existence yet…not yet…

"I'm so sorry…my dearest Alexander…" she wimpered, standing and peering at the memory preserver still on the ground. She glanced around, noting Daniel was nowhere to be found.

Warning signs went off through her mind. Had he rushed ahead to leave her behind, so he could try to kill Alexander?

Her question was answered as the castle shook, and Daniel came bursting through the door of the Laboratory. He crashed into her, his fingers digging into her shoulders as they both tried to stop his momentum. He stared into her alien eyes for a few moments, before he realized she was not some wobbling mutant, and released his grip on her.

"Where did you go?" she questioned immediately. Daniel took a moment to catch his breath, offering her the iron key.

"When you fell unconscious, I went looking through the Laboratory, and found out where the chemicals we need are. Alexander had moved them due to the chemicals being corrupted by some…process he was performing. He moved them to the Wine Cellar, which was the other doorway we came across, but it was locked. I had to find the key in the Archives…" he explained in between breaths.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's got you so riled up?"

Daniel shook his head. "I-I…can't explain it. The t-twisted bodies of men…blood everywhere…" he murmered, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Next time don't go off without me, alright? We're both vulnerable without someone to watch our backs." She said, patting his shoulder.

"I'll give you a few minutes to recover. Then it's into the Wine Cellar like you said. We need to get that acid going so we can get through to the Refinery and quickly as possible."

With that, she made her way back down the steps to the Laboratory. Daniel closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths.

"What's her hurry?" he thought to himself, recalling the fact that before Arusenna had fallen unconscious, she was in tears. "Just how did she know Alexander?"

Inspiring Music of the Chapter:

1: Venetian Snares: My Downfall

2: Amnesia Ambience 12

3: Breath Me: Sia


	3. Chapter 3

Return

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Chapter 3: Ghostly Remnants

Arusenna made her last rounds of the Laboratory, gathering up the various notes Alexander had left behind, and peeking one last time down the rusty iron grate to see if the Kaernk would show itself again. It didn't.

She set herself to casting minor wards that would keep the area safe and empty of any spirits, malevolent or otherwise. If they were returning to this place, she was in no mood to have any surprises pop up. A small part of her worried about the "twisted men" Daniel had spoke of. She knew it did not bode well for them, whatever the case may be.

With her last protective ward cast, she stepped out of the Laboratory and up the stairs to meet Daniel. He still sat where she left him, though now he was calm, reading over a small slip of paper.

"What's that?" she called, stepping up to him. He glanced up from his reading, shrugging.

"Not sure. It would seem these are pages of a diary I once kept. It states I was on some sort of archeological dig in Algeria. I also have this…" he spoke quietly, personally thinking it a better choice to not mention his visions of the Orb.

He fished around in his coat pocket, producing several torn book pages. "It tells of creatures called Gatherers, that describes what I saw in the Archives perfectly." He explained, offering her the pages. She took them, scanning through them.

She stopped as she came across one titled "Alexander, The Immortal Baron". She read the text carefully, reading through it three times before she glanced away from it.

"The Immortal Baron…" she scoffed. "You humans have no idea what he is." She mumbled to herself, pocketing the book pages and stalking toward the exit. Daniel peered at her questioningly, gathering his lantern, and following her out. As they descended the steps to the Winery, a freezing draft blew down the corridor, and it felt for a moment like icy claws were digging into their spines, before the sensation dissipated. They both shuddered.

Arusenna took the key from her pocket, and jammed it into the lock. With a satisfying click, the lock released, and the door opened. It was dark within the Wine Cellar. Little light from outside filtered in, and the dim lighting set off shadows on the wall that danced and squirmed as if alive. Daniel lit the lamp, and peered about, while Arusenna scanned for any possible enemies. She could sense nothing, but the shadows on the walls disturbed her.

As they descended the stairs, they were both assailed with a gust of power, voices of drunken men filling their ears.

"Where did the Baron go?" one called. Another, higher pitched voice laughed. "Who caaaares! He left us enough wine to last us a lifetime! …Or at least until tomorrow!"

With that, the echo ended, and Daniel and Arusenna both looked at each other.

"Did you hear it too?" Daniel asked, pulling his lantern up to see a wooden plaque that mapped out the Winery's many rooms. Arusenna merely nodded, glancing up at it and striding towards the nearest room. She touched the handle, beginning to turn the knob.

As she did, the door seemed to heave, and a loud roar was heard from behind it. She jumped back a few feet, both her and Daniel peering at the door fearfully.

She swallowed, stepping away from it and leading Daniel to another room. Inside was a rather simple craftsman's table, with a series of different tools arrayed on top of it. There were a few bookshelves within, along with rope, rotted planks, and several rocks that had fallen through the roof. Arusenna was careful to watch her step, grabbing several tinderboxes hidden in a tiny chest, underneath the craftsman's table. After a few minutes of searching, Daniel kneeled and picked up a large vial of reddish liquid, labeled "Calamine."

"One down..three to g-" Daniel began, before he was interrupted by a deafening roar. The Shadow screamed, and the walls around the two shook violently. Arusenna managed to dance away from a pile of falling debris, but Daniel was not so lucky, a barrel slamming into his forehead, followed by a boulder landing on his left arm.

Once the shaking subsided, Arusenna uncovered her eyes. She saw Daniel covered in rubble, and dashed for him.

"Daniel!" she called. The man was completely unconscious. She sighed heavily, moving the lighter weight rocks off of him first, kicking the empty barrel across the room. She was uncertain on how to treat the heavy boulder on his arm.

For all she new, his arm could've been fine, or it could've been shattered in several places. She stepped over him, crouching and rolling the boulder forward. It may have done damage to the bone, but at least she wasn't flattening his fingers getting the damned thing off of him.

She lifted his arm, and he flinched. The arm made a crunching noise.

"Damn it…broken." She cursed, pushing her fingers into it, checking which parts of the bone had been damaged. She was glad he wasn't awake for the process, finding two areas where the bone had snapped. The first was going to be an easy fix, the upper bone was thick, and was cracked right down the center. The bones below it on the other hand, were splintered.

Arusenna stood, lighting a candle so she could have proper light. She was surprised at the damage the Shadow had done. If not for a stubborn support beam, she and Daniel would've been flattened by the floor above them. Arusenna silently thanked the Divine, before tending to Daniel. She took in a deep breath, and closed her eyes, easing her will into the broken arm. Healing energies pieced the bones back together, leaving nothing more than a bruise.

She grit her teeth as the cost of the spell ran its course, the bones in her arm threatening to snap. Her body was more durable than Daniel's, but she still felt the stabbing pain of a splintered bone, as her arm went into minor convulsions. Once the pain in her arm was tolerable, she moved onto his head, doing the same she had done with his arm. The damage had not been too bad, only causing her a slight headache. She watched over him like a guard dog, waiting for him to wake up.

(( Roughly an hour later))

Arusenna yawned quietly, poking Daniel's shoulder out of boredom. She jumped when his arm moved and his eyes slowly cracked open. She stood up, offering him a hand. He took it gladly, noting his surroundings.

"What happened?"

Arusenna shrugged, trying to force a wooden beam from its place, blocking their exit.

"The Shadow decided to show up. Luckily for us, this place was built well. Otherwise the entire room could've fallen down on top of us." She muttered, her voice strained as she pushed her whole body against the wooden beam. "Your skull took a good knock, but otherwise you're no worse for wear."

He nodded, shoving some of the rocks away with his foot. "How about you?"

Arusenna scoffed. "I had the sense to move out of the way." She taunted, a condescending air to her voice. He rolled his eyes, putting his hands over hers as she strained to push the beam over.

"Here, you're doing it wrong." He muttered, nudging the beam forward with his foot, and turning it, letting it fall sideways.

"See?"

Arusenna stared at the beam, shrugging.

"Neh…it's out of the way now."

Daniel chuckled, allowing him a small sense of victory that he had shown her up. Despite the darkness, he had noticed a hint of color on her cheeks.

Arusenna lead the way with lamp in hand, heading towards the closest room. She covered her nose at the smell of dead meat, and grimaced, looking up.

"Pigs…in a Wine Cellar." She muttered. "Good way to spoil the wine."

Both of them yelled in fright, as a man screamed in agony, and the door nearest them splintering, as if someone was beating against it from the other side. They could both hear their heartbeats in their ears, keeping still as statues, just waiting for the door to fly off its hinges and some obscene creature to stride out from the shadows.

But nothing came, only silence, and the droning noise of air rushing through the spacious castle. Arusenna put a hand on Daniel's shoulder, nodding.

"So…who wants to go through the demented screaming door first?" she muttered, moving forward, albeit hesitantly.

She turn the knob, nudging the door open with her foot. The sour, pungent smell of rotting flesh flooded their nostrils as they stepped into the room. What they found disturbed them to their core.

All around the room, were scattered body parts of humans, broken tables, and overturned desks and chairs.

Another ghostly remnant played out for them as they entered the center of the room. Three men stood around them, clutching their bodies and screaming.

"What's happening? It feels like…my chest is going…to burst!" a man forced out, as the whole front of her torso pulsated, before his sternum cracked in two, and jutted out of his neck. The second man, this one shorter, cried out in fear.

"My God. Wilhelm, do something!" he cried, shaking the man.

The third man, Wilhelm, sat on the edge of the table, clutching his already heaving chest.

"Accept it. We're not getting out of here…alive." He muttered, crying out as his shoulder ripped itself from its socket on its own.

The short man grabbed handfuls of his hair, backing away from the two other men whose bodies were seemingly turning inside out.

"How can you say that?" he wailed, rushing for the door and slamming his fists into it.

"Alexander, you piece of shit! LET US OUT OF HERE!" he screamed, before his own body did the same as the others, splitting apart from the top of his head down to his groin.

Daniel covered his mouth as his stomach flipped, and Arusenna closed her eyes, shaking her head. She recognized what those men experienced, opening her eyes and staring down at the pulpy, mess that was left of the three men.

"But Alexander…what in the Divine's name would possess you do –use- it?" She thought silently, stepping over the pieces of dead meat, and onto the next room. She picked up a small piece of paper, stained in blood. There was messy handwriting scrawled all over it, and she tried to read it.

From what she could understand of it, Alexander had tricked and played this man like a puppet, tossing him away like a broken tool.

She could not believe what she had read, balling up the paper and tossing it over her shoulder.

She would not leave the accounts of a dying human, to try and explain what Alexander was. She –knew- what he was. No petty mortal was going to change that image.

She walked out of the room, watching Daniel as he stepped outside. She caught up to him, and they both wandered aimlessly through the Wine Cellar.

It seemed like hours passed, before they found another chemical, this time a canister of deep blue liquid, called Orpiment, and swiftly after that they found the rest that they needed.

Daniel turned the corner into the last room they hadn't been into, Arusenna following closely.

"Where are you going? We have what we need to create the acid." She spoke. Daniel nodded.

"Yes, but we might as well make use of whatever supplies we can find." He said, reaching for a flask of Laudanum. "Especially if…did you hear that?" he whispered, looking in the direction of the lit hallway. He could hear the shuffle of heavy footsteps. Arusenna opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted, as Daniel stood quickly, covering her mouth with a hand and pulling her against him, ducking behind a bookshelf and crouching. His free hand gripped her arm tightly as the owner of the footsteps came into full view.

Arusenna's eyes widened, and she kept still in Daniel's grip, as the horrid creature stepped closer to them. Its eyes were bulbous and oversized, as if taken from some other beast. Its jaw was the most disturbing part of the creature, the lower portion seemed non-existent, and the lower lip stretched so far, that it dangled down the creature's chest. Its skin was riddled with cuts and sewn up incisions, thick cords of rope, and leather straps wrapped around its limbs.

Arusenna was forced to look away, her mind unable to fathom such a creature, gritting her teeth as hard as she could, as Daniel's grip on her arm tightened.

Finally…after an eternity of waiting, the grotesque beast turned, shuffling away from them. Daniel re-opened his eyes when he could no longer hear the thing's feet, nudging Arusenna, who shakily stood, gripping her arm and hesitantly walking towards where the creature made its exit.

Daniel watched her grasp her arm again.

"You've been favoring that since the room collapsed on us earlier. Are you hurt?" he asked, touching a hand to her arm. She flinched away from him, her yellow eyes cold.

"I'm fine. I could do without your chattering though…" she muttered, moving to get ahead of him.

He grabbed her arm, yanking her back and she hissed in pain, glaring at him.

"What?" she barked.

For a moment, Daniel forgot what he was going to say by the harshness in her voice, then he spoke.

"You could've left me behind in the Old Archives; slit my throat and left me for dead, but you didn't! You dragged me along with you, because you needed help. We're in this together, as you said. Now quit treating me like I'm some useless cad, and let me see your arm!" he ordered, and she seemed a bit baffled by his words. She let her coat roll off her shoulders, wincing as she pulled her arm out of the sleeve, and showed it to him.

He gently took hold of her wrist, looking over the arm, his eyes widening at the deep purple lines on the underside of her arm.

"It looks like you're arm is broken…!" he spoke lowly, touching a finger to it. She swatted his hand away, nodding. Her tone was no longer hostile.

"When the room fell on us, a boulder had landed on your arm. It had broken in two places. I was able to heal it, but at the price of inflicting a far lesser form of the injury unto myself. When you woke up, your arm was fine, and so was I, so we went on unhindered."

Daniel let go of her arm, his grey-blue eyes calculating.

"Why would you go to such lengths for a total stranger?" he asked, out of mere curiosity.

Arusenna shrugged. "One, because my body can take the strain." She said, then smiled slightly. "And two…because like you said. I need your help."

She pulled her coat back on, watching for the creature, before stepping out into the center of the Wine Cellar. She made her way towards the exit, allowing herself a small smile as she heard Daniel's footsteps behind her.

_**Wooowzers. Long chapter is long. I hope I can write ALL my chapters this long in the future. I like giving you guys something to really –read-. :3 anyway, that was chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed, next chapter will be out shortly. **_

_**The whole chapter was written with the Dungeon Music 2 track from Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion. **_


	4. Chapter 4

Return

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Chapter 4: The Kaernk

_**There was a rustle of footsteps, as a man stood. Arusenna jumped up, grabbing hold of the man's sleeve.**_

"_**Please…don't go.." she muttered timidly, as the man looked back at her. He smiled genuinely, turning to face her.**_

_**She could see his mouth move, but could not hear the words.**_

_**Oh how desperately she wished she could hear those words…**_

Arusenna pulled her fingers away from the Memory Preserver, leaning heavily against the writing desk. She peered down at the floor, her eyes lost. It had been so long…decades? Centuries?

So much time had passed since she last saw Alexander. She could barely remember the sound of his voice, the gentle flutter of her heart when their eyes met.

She was pulled from her reverie as Daniel cursed, and she looked around the corner. Daniel had been working with the chemicals they found for hours now. Books on Alchemy, taken from the shelves around them surrounded him. He held his hand, a frustrated expression on his face as he looked down at the four vials of chemicals.

"Are you alright?" she called, crossing the room to come stand by him. He jumped, not noticing how close she was, nodding.

"Yes. I'm fine. It would seem where we've been using Aqua Regia, Alexander used Aqua Fortis to create the original acid." He explained, revealing his hand.

There was a decent sized red mark, where the incomplete mixture had spilled over it, the skin looking corroded. She did not hear Daniel's muttering as he continued to try and explain what Alexander had done, instead taking his injured hand and spreading her palm over it.

He flinched as her skin came into contact with the burnt skin of his hand.

"Sorry…" she spoke quietly, easing her will into the injury. The droplets of acid still on the skin evaporated, and a new layer of skin grew over the reddened layer. Daniel watched her curiously, as she let go of his hand. A hollow ache in her chest grew as she came to meet his eyes, looking away quickly.

Daniel watched her a moment longer, clearing his throat. "As I was saying, the mixture with Aqua Regia will produce the acid we need, but it will take longer to brew. I'd estimate about another six hours, before we have enough to get through the barrier to the Refinery." He explained.

Arusenna nodded, eyeing the mixture as it slowly dripped into the chemistry pot. She jumped as she felt Daniel grip her shoulder.

"I've been meaning to ask you this for some time. Just how do you know Alexander?" he asked.

Arusenna sighed heavily, looking away from him. "It is…a very long story."

Daniel was persistent, leaning back against the wall. "And we have plenty of time to hear it."

Arusenna felt trapped, her mind not wanting to dwell on old memories.

She spun the tale as best she could, piecing together undisturbed, dusty memories

"I met Alexander when my soul was still young. Where we come from, he was a teacher, in the arts of the Arcane. He is the reason I have the talents to heal your wounds, and protect us from the Shadow."

She hesitated a moment, before continuing. "In short…we grew very close. Until the day he was taken away. I did what I could to save him…but…well…" she closed her eyes, shaking her head. "I obviously did not succeed. For centuries, I strived to find him, and bring him back home. That is how I came to meet you."

Daniel nodded, digesting her words.

"Somehow I feel that is not –all- of it. But I will not press the matter further." Daniel said, noting Arusenna's pained expression. "It's obvious thinking about it hurts you."

Arusenna nodded. "You said you found notes from a diary you kept about your life. Did they help you to remember anything?"

Daniel did not want to tell her about his account with the Orb, but he felt if she was willing to be honest, it was only right that he was too.

He opened his mouth to explain, when suddenly the room shook, and the Shadow screamed. Arusenna cried out and fell to her knees as the vile entity smashed against the wards she set. They held against its malice, but the strain drained Arusenna quickly.

When it was over, Arusenna was able to focus again, standing up. Inside the Laboratory, there was no damage done, but outside, their torches had been blown out, and the stairway that led up to the Refinery was completely shattered.

Arusenna spat an extremely rude epithet, striding out into the dark to relight the torches. She froze as the walls around her shifted momentarily, her vision going red. She could hear the Shadow moaning, see it shifting around her. Arusenna though she caught the glimpse of an eye, before her vision returned to normal, and the shifting form of the Shadow disappeared.

She blinked her eyes as she realized she had moved. Daniel stood in front of her, his back turned, continuing his work on the acid.

"What the…I was outside.." she muttered. Daniel looked back at her, seeming somewhat surprised.

"Ah! You're awake." He said, peering at her worriedly. "After the Shadow manifested itself, you went out to…well, confront it I assume. You stood there for hours, just staring at a wall. I brought you back in here for fear the Shadow might return again."

Arusenna stared blankly out at the shattered stairway. "Odd…it only felt like a few seconds to me…"

Daniel shrugged, turning off the burners to the Chemical Apparatus, and grabbed their Chemistry Pot, now filled nearly to the rim with bubbling green acid.

"Well, whatever the case, the acid is finished. Now we just have to figure out how to get back up to the Refinery." He said, slipping his overcoat back on and grabbing the acid.

Arusenna nodded, striding out into the dark corridor. Enough light filtered in from outside that they could see. They both looked around, for something to prop up.

Daniel had managed to find three decently sized wooden planks, placing them in between the cleaved wooden remnants of the stairs. Arusenna tested how much weight the planks could handle, before striding up them confidently, Daniel following behind her.

They made their way to the door of the Refinery, hindered only by another manifestation of the Shadow. They had just barely escaped it without it causing them harm. As they approached the door to the Refinery, Arusenna felt a sense of unease. Daniel led the way, throwing his arm out, letting the acid splash over the wall of meat that blocked their path.

The acid worked with alarming speed, eating through the pulpy flesh. It produced an acrid smoke that choked both of them. They rushed through the door to the Refinery, slamming it shut behind them and coughing the horrid smoke from their lungs.

(2.) Arusenna wiped moisture away from her eyes as she gained control of her breathing. The Refinery was dark, and it reeked of dead flesh. Arusenna's keen ears could hear several of the things called "Gatherers" shuffling about. Daniel walked ahead of her, lighting his lantern, and walking the halls as if he knew them. It almost seemed as if he was following someone.

She followed him, her eyes darting toward every little noise she heard. She hoped to the Divine, that Daniel's lantern would not attract any of the Gatherers. Having one of those after them was not something she wanted to deal with.

He stopped abrubtly, looking around, suddenly alert.

"What is it? Did you remember-"

"Shhh!"

Arusenna hushed up, following him. They both froze, as a Grunt growled loudly, and wandered out into the passage in front of them. The both ducked behind large barrel, Arusenna crouching low and peeking around the side of it. The creature only lingered in the hall a moment, before opening a door and wandering away.

With knowledge of the Grunt, they hurried through the Refinery with renewed speed, using the lantern only sparingly. The trek through the dark, bloodied halls tested their willpower, both of them seeing small things out of the corners of their eyes. Daniel had found other notes about himself, regarding what he had done with the Orb. He remembered he was going to tell Arusenna about it, but as he read the text, he pondered the idea of keeping it secret.

Finally, they came upon a room with a largely sized, wooden trap door. Arusenna propped herself up on a box to break the wooden stake that jammed it, while Daniel turned the wheel to open it. From within, the thick smell of the Shadow wafted. Daniel went first, jumping away from the meat behind him. Surprisingly, it did not reach for him, as if it was dead. He did not have the time to dwell on it, as Arusenna leapt down, and strode in front of him. They made their way through the strange hallway, avoiding any and all that the Shadow left behind. The meat around them shifted, and the Shadow roared.

Arusenna dashed forward instinctively, rushing through the iron wrought door in front of her. The Shadow stopped its screaming as soon as the door was shut, leaving her and Daniel alone on a dark stairway. As they descended, Arusenna's wards pulsed in warning. Her foot splashed down into knee deep water, and she froze.

The last place she could remember seeing water, was in the Laboratory. When she saw something…

(3.) She was pulled from her thoughts, as Daniel cried out in fear and fainted. His dead weight fell against her and she cursed, struggling to hold him up. She immediately regretted making the noise, as a shadowy form shifted, its blank eyes meeting hers.

"Divine help me…" she breathed, ice setting in her veins as the beast turned to face her completely. It stood easily at six feet, its body covered in thick, oozing black scales. Its white, serrated teeth glittered with moisture, as it flexed its claws. Arusenna swallowed hard, trying to settle the fear in her gut.

"Daniel wake up…" she whispered quickly. The creature at the end of the hallway sniffed the air, roaring and lumbering towards her on two powerful legs. She forced herself forward, dragging Daniel with her. She barely got Daniel onto a large chest, before the beast was upon her. She kicked out with her boot, hitting it in the snout. It reeled back, raking its claws towards her. Lucky for her, it could not reach her if her body did not touch the water's surface. It paced around the chest, its blank white eyes locked onto her form. She could tell by the way its scales hung off of its sides that this beast was starving.

Daniel groaned, his eyes cracking open. He sat up quickly, eyes alert. The last thing he remembered was drowning in the biting water of the Atlantic, before he woke up again. Arusenna sitting near him, her back hugging the wall, her eyes closed.

"Arusenna…what is it?" he questioned. He realized his answer, as the water around him splashed violently, and some unseen beast snarled.

"A-Arus…?"

"Don't look at it. You're not going mad, the beast is called a Kaernk. And it's been starved."

"C-can you see it…?

"Yes."

Daniel watched the movement of the water, his vision going foggy anytime he looked in the direction of the Kaernk's growling. Arusenna stood up, putting her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Daniel, I want you to run. There is a lever I can see in the nearest room, it must go to something. I want you to find that something, and shout to me when you do. Understand?" she said, her yellow eyes staring directly at the Kaernk.

"You don't mean to…"

"Run Daniel!" she ordered, leaping off the chest, and slicing her blade towards the Kaernk. It ducked away, chasing after her as she ran down the hallway. Daniel's vision swam as he saw nothing but splashes. The roar of the creature picked away at his mind as he forced himself forward. He jumped across several boxes strewn about the flooded corridor, pulling the lever Arusenna had mentioned. Immediatley, a loud cranking noise echoed through the room, and he made his way out.

Arusenna struggled to keep the Kaernk's attention, the creature able to disappear into the water at will. Under normal circumstances, she could've fought the creature with ease. But holding her wards up against the Shadow had taken a great toll on her, and she was feeling it now.

She stabbed her blade into the water, just as the Kaernk was resurfacing, catching its lower jaw. It screamed in pain, lashing out at her with its claws. She jumped away, the claws whistling past her face. She wasn't going to be able to keep this up for long. The Kaernk had twice as much reach, and frenzied power.

"Arusenna, behind you!" she heard Daniel bark. She barely saw him sprint past her in the dim darkness of the Cellar, turning on her heel to follow as she noticed the already falling iron gate. She choked, as the Kaernk grabbed hold of her coat, the collar catching her throat. In frustration, she ducked low, imbedding her sword in its midsection and running. She leapt through the gate just before it closed, getting a mouthful of foul tasting water in the process.

She felt Daniel tug her up off the ground, and onto another box as a second Kaernk shuffled towards them. This one looked even worse than the one before, brittle scale, giving way to festering red pustules. The beast's body was covered in them, and as Arusenna looked around the room, she realized the Shadow was responsible.

She heard Daniel shudder, as her foot came down on something soft. She looked down, covering her mouth as she realized she was stepping on a severed torso.

Arusenna caught sight of another heavy iron gate, this one with a small wheel on the wall near it.

"Daniel, look there. That wheel should be what opens that gate. I'll distract the Kaernk, you get it open." She explained, wiping her blood caked sword in her coat and getting ready to engage. Daniel caught her shoulder.

"No. You're about to faint, I can see the fatigue in your eyes."

She looked at him, puzzled. Daniel looked down in mild horror at the severed body parts at their feet.

"You said the beast was starved r-right…?" he said, shakily picking up a torso. "I hate to even entertain the idea, but it may be the easiest way to distract it."

In response to him picking up the torso, the bloodied Kaernk in the water hissed, watching him expectantly. Daniel closed his eyes, throwing the torso nearly halfway across the room.

The Kaernk roared, leaping through the water towards the dead meat.

Daniel and Arus nodded to each other, jumping off the box and running as fast as they could to the gate. By the time they reached it, the Kaernk was already in pursuit. They leapt on top of another box, Arusenna quickly picking up an arm and tossing it away.

"Get the gate! I'll keep it occupied!" she barked. Daniel obeyed, jumping down into the water and cranking the rust ridden wheel as fast as he could. The gate was stubborn, but it opened enough for them to escape.

"Daniel…I'm out of pieces!" Arusenna said, fear evident in her voice. Nearly two full bodies and the beast was still hungry, roaring and running towards them. Daniel grabbed her hand and ran under the gate, swinging the door in front of them open and slamming it shut. Arusenna jumped forward, testing the iron door ahead. It was locked and she cursed, her eyes scouring the room for something of use.

Daniel leaned against the door, breathing heavily.

"I wouldn't do that. That old door won't hold the Kaernk back for long." Arusenna warned, picking up a thick glass needle and nodding. Just as she said it, Daniel was pushed from the door by an angry roar. The Kaernk had already gotten through the gate, and was slashing its claws into the door. Arus hurried once again to the iron door, jamming the needle into the lock. After some work, the lock gave way with a satisfying click, and they both rushed through it.

The Kaernk was right behind them, reaching its arm through the door before they could get it shut. They both pushed against it with all their strength, the Kaernk's arm flailing wildly as it tried to get to them.

Arusenna cried out as its claws ripped into her arm, pulling her blade and slicing the creatures arm, from the elbow down, clean off. The beast screeched, backing away from the door, allowing them to slam it shut.

They both put their backs to it, trying to catch their breath. Arusenna did all she could to ignore the firey pain in her arm, as she examined their new surroundings. The water in this room was deeper by a few inches, and was stained a rusty red. The Shadow's signature was stretched all over the walls of the room, the wet rotted meat producing a smell so foul, the two could barely breath.

Fear sliced through them like a jagged blade as the Shadow roared its fury, and the two Kaernks materialized in front of them. Arusenna grabbed Daniel's wrist, and started running…


	5. Chapter 5

Return

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Chapter 5: Betrayal

The two sprinted forward, adrenaline pumping through their veins, as they heard the two Kaernks roaring behind them in pursuit. On top of that, the Shadow was doing all it could to hinder their progress, blurring their vision, and clawing at their feet to trip them.

The first door came upon them swiftly, Daniel reaching it first. He tugged it open, Arusenna leaping through it, yanking him along. She did not even bother to close it, knowing it would've been wasted time. She could hear screams in her ears, a manifestation of the Shadow swinging down at them from the roof above. Arusenna tripped over herself as she tried to dodge it, nearly bringing Daniel down with her. She hissed in pain as the murky water splashed over her wounded arm, forcing herself up and dashing on. The Kaernks were nearly upon them when they saw a reinforced iron door ahead.

Arusenna pushed on with renewed speed. The Kaernks did the same, realizing their prey was just about to escape them. They screamed, leaping forward on powerful limbs.

Daniel fumbled with the latch, rushing through the door, Arusenna following close behind. Cold fear sliced through her as the Kaernks roared, so close she could feel their fetid breath on her neck. She leapt forward, falling into a roll, slipping through the doorway as Daniel pulled the door closed. The beasts on the other side of the door smashed into it, screaming their frustration as their food got away.

Arusenna allowed herself several seconds to catch her breath and calm her nerves, trying to ignore the pain in her arm. A wave of immeasurable relief washed over her, as she gazed up at a wrought iron chandelier, a simple stone stairway leading up to a spacious room. Silver light filtered in through vast, ornate windows, filling up the grand Back Hall. The spectacle brought Arusenna a sense of peace she hadn't felt in years.

She stood up, turning towards Daniel.

The man stood frozen, his hands still gripping the latch of the door, even though the Kaernks had stopped trying to break it down. His knuckles were white, and his body shivered in fear. Arusenna stepped towards him, placing a careful hand on his shoulder. He jumped sharply, his eyes meeting hers.

"It's alright Daniel. They're gone." She spoke, squeezing his shoulder gently. He nodded, taking in a deep breath to center himself.

When he was calm, he was the first to ascend the steps, Arusenna following behind him. They enjoyed the peaceful silence the Back Hall brought them.

"So…what were those things?" Daniel asked. Arusenna chuckled at his curiosity.

"Planar creatures, from where I come from. It's likely, when Alexander was banished here, they followed the trail and became trapped themselves."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at her. "Banished?

Arusenna wandered down the left passage, looking back at Daniel. "Did he not tell you?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. I can't remember." He said with a measure of frustration. He peered over Arusenna's shoulder, towards a small iron gate. A memory flashed across his mind as he walked ahead of her and down the corridor. Alexander walked beside him.

"You have an "ascending room", will it take us to the Inner Sanctum?" he heard himself ask. The man beside him nodded, his strange eyes settling on Daniel in a way that made him feel uncomfortable. Alexander himself appeared quite old, yet he walked with the grace and purpose of young royalty. Standing in his presence made Daniel feel as if in the company of a great King.

"It will definitely take care of the vertical part of our journey. So, you have ridden an elevator before?" Alexander inquired, pulling a set of keys from his coat pocket to unlock the gate protecting the contraption. Daniel held up his lantern, nodding as Alexander fumbled with the lock.

"The Coliseum at Regent's Park has one. It takes you to the gallery, where you can view the panorama." He explained, remembering his awe when he saw the great feat of engineering it was. Alexander did not seem very impressed, opening the gates and stepping in.

"Good. Our ride might be a little longer- and in the other direction." He spoke, gesturing for Daniel to enter the elevator, before the memory dissipated and Daniel regained his vision. He stood dead center in the elevator, Arusenna watching him curiously.

"Remember something?" she inquired, personally finding it amusing that Daniel always seemed to jog his memory whenever he spoke of not remembering things. Ironic.

He nodded, examining the elevator. The walls were decorated with some old, peeling wallpaper that was stained yellow with the strain of time. Other than that, it was quite plain, devoid of anything except a rusted lever. Arusenna stepped into the elevator, pulling on the lever. The contraption gave a sharp jolt, the sound of rusty wheels and dry cogs trying to work coming from below them.

"Well this is a pitifully crude excuse of an elevator." Arusenna commented, stepping out of it and striding out into the Back Hall.

Daniel was taken aback. "Crude excuse? Automatic elevators are prime examples of the advanced technology of our time."

Arusenna scoffed, pointing at the broken elevator. "If –that- is a "prime example" of your time, then your idea of advanced technology is absolutely ridiculous." She spoke, immediately biting her tongue as she realized how cruel she sounded.

Daniel found it insulting that she was moving back into her condescending attitude from before.

"What exactly makes you so special?"

Arusenna sighed, feeling his eyes burning into her back. She turned.

"I apologize. Where I come from, our understanding of machinery makes that elevator look like something a child would build out of rocks. Please don't take what I said personally."

Daniel could tell by the look in her eyes, she truly was sorry and not merely patronizing him. He looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"You keep saying… where you come from. What do you mean by that?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

It was her turn to look puzzled. "Surely he's figured it out by now." She thought to herself.

She thought of the best way to word it, "Myself, and Alexander come from another plane of existence. In your terms, another world." She narrowed her eyes at him. "And don't look at me like that, I'm not insane. Consider what you've encountered in this castle, before you deny the truth of my words."

Daniel shut his mouth, nodding. Arusenna sighed.

"Anyway. If there's machinery here, then there has to be some kind of room to turn it back on. Did you notice anything in your last memory?"

Daniel shook his head, pointing to their right. "Well, I didn't see anything. But, judging by the plaque on the door, and the gear in the middle of it, I'd say that's the Machine Room." He said, mimicking something she had done earlier.

Arusenna rolled her eyes, stalking towards it. "I deserved that." She muttered, turning and yanking on the handle. It didn't budge, even when she tried kicking it inward.

"Did you stop to think we may need a key?" Daniel asked, walking towards the center of the Back Hall.

Arusenna growled, following. "Yes, I had entertained the idea, but I figured breaking down the door would've been a quicker solution to the problem."

Daniel chuckled. "Yes, let's try breaking down the reinforced, iron door with just the power of-" he stopped as he saw the cold glare Arusenna was giving him.

"Are you done?" she asked, in a tone that revealed her little amount of patience for him. Daniel mentally kicked himself, keeping silent as they ascended a stone stairway. Adorning the stairway was a beautifully crafted, enormous statue of an eagle. At the top, there were two doors, one reading the Study, the other reading Guest Room. Daniel shook his head as another memory leapt across his mind, walking slowly towards the door to the Guest Room.

"Daniel? Where are you going?" Arusenna questioned, her hand already on the knob of the Study. Daniel thought for a moment, before shrugging. "I'm not sure…this doorway just seems familiar."

Arusenna nodded. "We'll split up. See what you can find, I'll check through here." She ordered, opening the door to the Study, leaving Daniel to his own devices without another word.

He thought it strange that she'd leave him, even though she obviously suspected him of wanting to kill Alexander. The thought of the name…it made his blood boil. "If she's willing to leave me alone, then she trusts me." He thought, smiling to himself.

With that, he entered the Guest Room, immediately besieged by memories.

-Inside the Study-

Arusenna stepped into the darkness of the Study, waiting as her eyes adjusted to the dim, ambient light from outside. She could feel the heavy, menacing presence of the Shadow on her mind. Knowing it was not, at least for the moment, following Daniel put her slightly at ease. She was glad to provoke its curiosity, but she was terrified of how familiar its presence felt. She knew it somehow…

She pushed away the fear, and stepped into the first room she saw. Inside, were overturned bookcases, and broken tables. She found little of use, except a couple of tinderboxes and a note.

The note was titled. "Letter Regarding the Discovery of an Orb".

Arusenna froze as she saw the word Orb, slowly reading through the note's contents.

"…as I entered the underground chamber, I could feel I was trespassing. Because of my curiosity, I did my best to fight these instincts and fetched the Orb from its place. I scrambled out of the chamber, and into the woods. I could sense something was following me, it bayed loudly as it closed in. The beast, this guardian of the Orb, was relentless in its pursuit. I made my way to a nearby ravine where I stumbled upon some men fishing. I tried to warn them as I passed, but fortunately remained as I continued my escape. When I heard their cry of pain echo through the valley, I felt such a tremendous sense of relief, thinking I would be spared. Suddenly a blue shimmering light engulfed me, and the colors of the forest were washed away before my eyes. I kept running through the bleak surroundings, the trees had turned charcoal black with leaves of cinder, the ground covered in murky water. I pressed on through the drenched land as the glowing ember gave way to the rising wind and rained on me. I could hear pleading screams in the distance and I joined as pain and fear overtook me. I fell to the ground gasping for air. This certainly must sound strange, but I had been carried miles away across the Alps, to a grassy field outside Genoa. The Guardian had taken the Orb from me, but still until this day I fear its return…"

Arusenna felt the touch of fingers on her shoulders and she stopped reading. She drew in a short breath, waiting for the sensation to dissipate. The fingers glided down her shoulders, to the end of her spine. She winced, the pain growing in intensity the further down it went, till it finally disappeared. Arusenna let out a pained gasp, reaching to touch her lower back. She half expected her coat to be wet with blood. The fingers felt as if they tore deep furrows into her back, yet her body was devoid of any wounds. She turned around quickly as something caught her eye at the edge of her vision. She thought she saw the end of a dress near the door. She swallowed, her hand falling to her blade. She looked back down at the note, rereading it and closing her eyes.

She knew why the Shadow felt so familiar, for its tale was known by all from her world. Arusenna hurried her way through the corridors of the Study, knowing she had to find the key soon. If the Shadow was who Arus thought she was…then their time had grown short.

Arusenna cried out in fear as one of the windows of the Study shook, and cracked. She took a deep breath, stepping away from it and entering the room nearest her. What she saw within frightened her. In the center of the room was a table, covered in various charts on animal anatomy, along with bloodied bone saws and hammers. A dog's head stared blankly at her, its tongue missing. Around the room were other anatomy guides, and mutilated animals. A full sized stuffed dog stood on a table to her left, posed in such a way that it looked like it was snarling at her. Several birds of different kinds, and a rabbit also decorated the horrific room. Arusenna brought herself to pick up the bone saw, and jumped as several noises assailed her ears. First, she heard the sounds of a hound yelping in pain, then the squishing sound of metal biting through flesh. The dog howled, a small thump sounding through Arusenna's mind as its head was restrained against the table. Arusenna shuddered as she heard Alexander's voice.

"Let's see what you have to offer…" he cooed, followed by the sounds of the hound screaming in pain for several seconds before it finally died. She heard him curse.

"What a mess…I should have sharpened the saw." He said, pausing. He sliced through more of the beasts flesh. "But I can sense it…its definatley there."

The ghostly remnant eased away to the ambient sounds of the Study, Arusenna standing frozen in front of the table. She blinked, reaching for a bloodstained piece of paper on the table.

She read over it, shaking her head. "That explains it then. I wondered why I could not hold up my wards without strain. The very atmosphere of this world lacks the energy to support arcane power." She muttered to herself, staring over the various anatomy notes on the table. She smiled slightly, somehow comforted by the sound of Alexander's voice.

"Amazing you found vitae.." She spoke, smiling to herself. A dark pit formed in her stomach as she wondered if he had already found his way home.

She folded the note neatly and pocketed it, making her way through the rest of the room. There was another note on a dimly lit writing desk.

"1658, January 9th

Further disappointment. The antiquarian's latest findings yielded nothing. I'm still unable to grasp the inner workings of life and its relation to the power I sense within it. I shall pursue more books on the subject, but I suspect it will be in vain. Since no research has been made in my particular interest I must attempt to fill that void myself. Clearly humans emanate more of the energy I seek, but I hope animals will suffice as they would prove less of a hassle to acquire."

Arusenna thought back to the note she found in the Wine Cellar. Had it been true? Had Alexander stooped so low to take the lives of another race? She shook her head.

"No! You wouldn't do something so cruel…" she whispered, tucking the note away, and looking to her right. She jumped at the portrait mounted on the wall. It was of Alexander, seemingly staring off into space. She stepped closer to it, her hand reaching out involuntarily. Up close, the painting seemed to be covered in a layer of dust. Arusenna traced a finger down his jaw line, smiling.

"They can never capture your eyes…" she whispered, noting the eyes of the portrait were a deep brown, rather than their actual golden hue.

The painting suddenly changed, shifting its gaze onto her. Its eyes disappeared, replaced by deep black sockets, and its mouth split open, to form a hollow, skeletal hole. Arusenna jumped back, rushing out of the room. A woman's laughter danced through the Study and Arusenna looked toward it. At the end of the hallway, near the broken window, stood a beautiful woman, dressed in a billowing black dress. Her skin was pale as bone, along with the irises of her eyes. She gestured for Arusenna to come near, before floating through the window. As she did, the window pane shattered, the cold Prussian air rushing through the corridor, giving Arusenna goosebumps. The air did not smell fresh by any means, the stench of dead animal and rotted flesh floating over Arusenna's nostrils. She rushed forward to follow the strange woman, carefully stepping over the broken glass and onto the stone balcony outside. She swallowed hard as the trees beneath her groaned. There was no sign of the woman she saw, the presence of the Shadow fading away. She cursed herself for letting the spirit play mind games with her.

(The Guest Room)

Daniel stepped into a room turned completely upside down. The drawers of a writing desk were strewn about the area, along with the scattered pages of books, and even a small stone statue. Nothing about the room sparked any significance to him, yet it was familiar. He stepped across the threshold hesitantly, staring at the redwood door to his right. As soon as his palm touched the brass knob, a memory arced painfully across his mind.

A rush of light filled the icy, bleak room with a sense of warmth, although all hope had drained from it. A lantern held firmly in his grip, and a stern look on his face told Daniel he was not to be trifled with. Alexander felt the urge to hurt Daniel, but he saved his anger, a tight frown on his old face held the boundary between the calm aura and angry, cold atmosphere. A pit formed in Daniel stomach, he shook, hating the silence but waited for Alexander to speak. He looked up at the man from his fallen spot on the wooden ground, rubbing his finger against his palm until he thought the skin would scrape away and bleed.  
"What did you do with it?" Alexander demeaned, the expression not changing but screamed his frustration with Daniel.  
"I don't know." Daniel replied simply, struggling to keep his voice from shaking. His hand made a violent shudder that traveled down his arm to his spine. His mind twirled for a moment before coming back to one thing, he didn't know why Alexander was this angry with him. He understood what he had done, he had good intentions and would return the key! Why was it such a problem?  
"Don't lie to me! Give me the key." Alexander held out his brittle and worn, yet slender hand out, but Daniel did not move. Instead he remained tucked beside the desk and the many coffee brown pages of the books scattered about him in a flurry, his hand clutching his jacket and the other scraping away at his palm. The young man's face held a sort of fear that Alexander could sense very well, but it did not make itself present on Daniel face. His face remained still, slowly nagging away to his fear, but still.  
"Your lies shall only make the situation worse, give me the key." Alexander asked again, his irritation evident.

In truth, Daniel didn't know where the key was. He had misplaced it somewhere. Somewhere.  
"Alexander, I'm telling you the truth. I wouldn't lie to you." Daniel's voice shook yet again as he tried to stand, but felt the force of Alexander's firm attitude. But he –would- lie. He would very well work behind Alexander's back if it had a potential to himself. Those were two flaws in Daniel's personality that he would never admit to himself. He was selfish and naïve. Oh, so very naïve!  
Alexander's frown twitched and he sneered, "Daniel, this will end painfully if you do not submit yourself, rebelling will not get you anywhere. Come quietly or otherwise."  
"I don't see what is so important about the key-" Daniel blurted.

"What it is so important is not..." Alexander had no words to explain why or why not the key was of any sufficient importance, or it would mean revealing something he didn't want Daniel knowing. The real question was not where the key was, but what the key held and what it opened, what it unlocked, what secrets it kept, and what it will reveal that is so well hidden behind Daniel's mind's eye.  
Alexander had about enough of waiting and before Daniel's fingernail could hit blood on his pale palm, he was struck hard. Alexander clutched a handful of the man's hair, lifting him off the ground. Daniel cried out in pain, as deep brown strands were pulled from his head. The lantern clattered to the ground as Alexander threw Daniel into the side of the desk hard, his body tumbling to the ground beside a heap of books. The man growled something in a language Daniel was not familiar with and went into the next room. Daniel lay there for a moment before regaining some train of thought after the attack. His head hurt both from questions unanswered and the blood pooling from a small gash in his forehead, which now marked the corner of the desk. A hiss escaped from his dry lips and he fled the room as soon as the Baron's voice boomed from the other room, behind the slightly opened door and dim candlelight, ordering him to leave the corridor before he truly hurt him. Daniel left without a second thought.

Daniel shook himself from the memory, gritting his teeth against his anger. He jiggled the handle of the door, the thought of the memory and his frustration getting the better of him as he lashed out, kicking the door. The doorframe cracked, and with another kick it flew open. Daniel felt the anger simmer down slightly as he gazed at the small room within. He could nearly see himself, lying beaten and broken on the cold wooden floor beneath him. The blood from the event was still smeared on the corner of the desk, his hand reaching up to touch a thin scar on the edge of his cheek. He shuddered, pulling his hand away from it and looking about the room.

"What was so important about that damned key…" he muttered to himself, exhaling heavily. The rush of air jostled a portrait on the wall ever so slightly. Daniel chuckled to himself, pulling the painting off the wall to reveal a small alcove, where lo and behold, the key stood safely.

"There it is. I guess it was a good place to hide it then." He said, removing the cork to the little bottle that held it, and grabbing it. He tucked it in his pocket, and jumped. In the next room, something wandered into the room. At first, Daniel thought it to merely be Arusenna, but to his horror, it was not.

The wretched creature roared as it caught sight of him, stumbling forward on twisted limbs. Daniel jumped up quickly, slamming the door shut as the creature rammed into it. He flew back from the force of its strike, scrambling to regain his balance. The Grunt's claws raked through the top half of the door as Daniel looked for a way to escape. When he found none, he leapt into one of two small closets, and slammed the doors shut. He held onto the knobs to keep the doors closed, his hands shaking madly as he heard the Grunt continue to beat against the door.

(The Study)

Arusenna leapt across the broken stone slabs, until she came across a room with a broken window. She hoped something of more use than a memory was in the Study.

She stepped through the shattered window, glass crunching underneath her boot heel, looking around, glancing over the fallen bookshelves, and many instruments that lay strewn about the room. Various plans for mechanical endeavors lined the walls, and Arusenna tried to understand them. She paused as something caught her eye. A faint blue glimmer, that sparkled in the corner of the room. She walked towards it, and her eyes widened as they fell on another Memory Preserver, just like the one Daniel found in the Laboratory. She swallowed, curious and yet terrified of what she might see.

Slowly, she reached for it, her palm encasing the blue gem. Her vision swam as all she saw was white light for several seconds. Finally, it subsided, to a vision of an underground cave system. Above her, huge boulders, lined with mystic runes floated. In front of her was a small portal, the inside of it shimmering with a blurred image of something all too familiar.

It was her home…

She had no time to bask in the image's beauty, as she looked upon a single figure at the back of the room. She shuddered at the sight, slowly stepping towards the man.

He was clad in the same scarlet jacket he had always worn, his silver hair flowing neatly down his neck. It was Alexander, as she always remembered him. He was facing away from her, as if speaking to someone, but she could not hear any voices. She stepped closer, her hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. Just as she nearly touched him, he spun on his heel, turning to fully face her. He froze, and for a split second both stared into each other's eyes. But he was not looking at her, as his glorious golden eyes turned from a look of happiness, to one of horror. He dashed through her, shouting something, and she turned to look.

Another man, this one in a long leather coat, leapt through the portal, and vanished. As he did, the portal sputtered and collapsed, its energy spent. Alexander stood horrified for several minutes, staring at the empty stone pillars that once held his only way home.

Arusenna felt tears forming in her eyes, the knowledge that she could not comfort him slicing through her heart. To watch him like this…it was torture…

She coughed, as she felt something in her chest ignite. Alexander turned from the portal, his golden eyes ablaze, as he pointed a finger at her. It was not intentionally aimed at her, but at the figure behind her. A slip of a man, with a crop of short graying brown hair, dressed in simple dark green robes. The man doubled over as Alexander whispered a word of power, his victim's arms bending and stretching in ways they shouldn't have.

The robed man screamed in agony, as Alexander kept his gaze on him, uttering another word to stop the man's torture…if only briefly.

He strode through Arusenna once again, as she clutched her throat for the chance to breath. Her blood boiled, and her heart raced. She could see images of fire and broken bodies flashing through her mind. The pain was almost unbearable, as she watched the rest of the memory play out.

After several minutes of beating the robed man senseless, Alexander left the room, distraught. Finally, Arusenna heard something…it must've been what Alexander had recorded in the preserver.

"When will it be my turn? Have I not shown restraint?" he spoke, his voice quiet, his resolve shattered.

"My patience spans centuries. From where I came, mankind has not even wasted a breath, and yet I bow to you." He muttered, striding aimlessly down the dark corridors of the Inner Sanctum. Arusenna followed, the burning pain in her chest fading, as Alexander's anger diminished. He stopped in the middle of a walkway, looking back in the direction of where he left the robed man doubled over and whimpering in pain.

"I have done so much for you and I have gained nothing in return. Agrippa, I trusted you. It was I who in all fairness should have entered that Gate!" He hissed, staring with empty eyes down the corridor.

Arusenna felt the pain in her chest spike again, and she fell to the ground, coughing. The memory faded away to the dust encrusted floors, and broken bookcases of the Study. Arusenna closed her eyes, and swallowed hard, her hands shaking as she tried to calm herself down.

"Agrippa…" she said the name through clenched teeth. As she said it, the pain faded to a dull heat in her chest, like the warmth of a campfire.

She could feel the urge of her body wanting to change…and a memory flashed through her mind. She heard Alexander's voice call out to her.

"_**I am trusting you to protect this. Do not let anyone use it. And I beg you…do not use it on yourself."**_

The memory seemed to douse the flame smoldering in her chest, and she took a deep breath. The rage faded to a simmering hatred, and she stared at the Memory Preserver.

"It would seem the Shadow did not take you for stealing the Orb. A pity." She spat.

She took in a deep breath, centering herself, and continued on. On the desk next to the Preserver, was a small, green painted rod and a note, regarding the mechanical controls for the Elevator in the Back Hall. She pocketed it, smiling. "At last, some luck." She thought.

She made her way out of the winding corridors of the Study, and froze as she exited.


	6. Chapter 6

Return Amnesia: The Dark Descent Chapter 6: Nightmares

In front of the door next to her, there was a torn half of a torso. Arus's heart jumped in fear and she kicked the door open.  
"Daniel!" she called, looking around. What she saw was far from Daniel. It was the creature from the Wine Cellar. It smashed against a door she could only assume Daniel was hiding behind. With the sound of her yell, the beast turned its ugly head, staring at her.

When its bulbous eyes looked at her, it felt as if another was examining her through it. She pulled her sword, readying herself. Its twisted visage wriggled into her mind, unhinging her thoughts. But this creature was armed and powerful she couldn't afford to be afraid of it.

The beast roared, shuffling towards her at a speed she didn't think possible, barely having time to dodge its first strike. The beasts arm smashed clean through a dresser, as it turned to catch her. She pointed a finger at it.

"Begone spirit!" she commanded, a bolt of blue light flying from her finger, and slamming into the beast's chest. The lightning crackled along its skin, doing no damage. It stepped back, seeming to calculate her again, before lunging. She cursed in frustration, leading it around the room in an attempt to tire it out. The creature did not stop, growing more and more violent in its attacks as time passed. She dodged its swings until it had destroyed practically every piece of furniture in the room, clearing the way for her attack. She ducked under its next swing, slashing at its chest with her sword. The wounds likely didn't hurt it, but that was not her plan. She ducked underneath one last strike from the Grunt, spinning on her heel and kicking it in the chest. Her momentum helped her greatly, as her boot heel came into contact with the creature's chest. It stumbled back, the force of her kick and its own weight shattering the window behind it, sending the creature ass over tea-kettle off the side of Brennenburg.

It roared in alarm, before a sickening crunch was heard. Arusenna flinched at the noise, striding for the door it had been clawing at. She turned the knob, surprised to see it had been unlocked the entire time. A sense of alarm rose within her. Daniel was nowhere to be found. She heard a rustling movement to her right, and walked near the closet, hesitantly opening its doors.

She cried out as Daniel's fist slammed into her cheek, stumbling back into the wall.

"Arusenna, is that you?" she heard Daniel shout. She nodded slowly, holding the left side of her face. Her whole skull had been rattled by his strike.

"I hope so " she muttered, looking up at him and glaring. "Next time I'll reconsider aiding you against the Gatherers!"  
Daniel stretched his hand, his knuckles aching. "I am so sorry." He apologized, his eyes worried. Arusenna rubbed her cheek, shaking her head. "It's alright. In fact, it provides some reassurance." She said, turning and exiting the room.

Daniel raised an eyebrow at her, following her out. "How's that?" She looked back at him. "You can defend yourself when you really want to. A punch won't do much damage creature like that " she said, gesturing to the broken window. "But it's a start."

She peered over the edge of the window, startled as she realized the Grunt's body was gone.

Daniel picked up another diary entree of paper from a shattered desk, reading over its contents aloud.

Just as he finished, Arusenna whistled sharply, and he looked up. She had the next page of the diary entry in her hand, offering it to him.  
She leaned back against the wall, pondering what Herbert and his men had encountered, a deep fear growing in her gut as she tried to deny her realization. She cringed away from her thoughts as Daniel reading the second aloud.

"3rd of July, 1839.  
Today, I picked up Herbert's things at the custom's house. I dug through the trove of documents he carried and found a log detailing the expedition. The nature of his text ranged from quick notes to colorful accounts of transpired events. I skimmed the pages, trying to figure out what might have happened. May 17th, the day I was trapped inside the Orb chamber, Herbert dryly states "

Arusenna's pulled herself from her thoughts as she heard him say Orb, grabbing a handful of his coat.

"You encountered an Orb? Why didn't you tell me about this?" she nearly yelled. Daniel was more than startled by her sudden hostility, backing up an inch.

"I had meant to tell you about it, but anytime I have I've been conveniently interrupted." He pondered her expression. "Why is it important?"

Arusenna released her hold on him, staring down at the ground, surprising herself with her outburst. The heat inside her chest had risen again with mention of the Orb.  
"I-I'm sorry I did not mean to snap like that. It's just, the Orb, it means the Shadow is far more dangerous than I'd assumed. She " Arusenna grew flustered as the fear gnawed harshly at her gut, eating up her thoughts. Daniel could see the fear in her eyes, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. "You said She. Do you know who- the Shadow is?" he asked, trying to get her to make eye contact. She chuckled hoarsely.

"You sir, owe me some of your tale, before I can share more of mine." She muttered. Daniel watched her; confused by the way she was acting.

"Do we have time for that?" he wondered aloud. Arusenna nodded, standing in front of the entrance and muttering a word in her language, a faint silver shimmer dancing from her fingertips, before dissipating into the walls.

"I'll set wards so the Shadow cannot come near. I want to know everything you've come to learn from those diary entrees." She looked back at him, her yellow eyes sincere. "Start from the beginning."

Daniel did not understand the sudden changes of Arusenna's moods, watching her closely as he tried to think of the best way to summarize what he'd learned about himself.  
Arusenna was patient, casting her wards in silence until finally, Daniel spoke.

He spun his tale like a true storyteller, the emotions both on his face and in his voice reminding Arusenna of her parents and their stories.

As the story went, Daniel had been convinced by one Professor Herbert, to accompany him on a dig to Algeria, a nation on the continent of Africa, where countless ancient artifacts could be found. The journey to the dig site was long and uneventful. When they had arrived, it was three days ride on camelback to the ancient temple that had peaked Herbert's curiosity. When the expedition was ready to enter the temple, their toothless foreman guided them inside, telling the tale of Tin Hinan, The Mother of Us All. Within the ancient tunnels, they had realized this temple was far from what they expected. Strange statues and runes of an old language decorated the twisting stone tunnels, and he explained how he remembered feeling as if he was trespassing. They were forced from the tunnels when the sun began to rise, and the heat within the old temple became harsh enough to harm them. Daniel himself had remembered collapsing in the temple, and waking up outside on a cot, just as the sun was about to set. The next day, he took a group of men into the structure, having to expend a large amount of effort to keep them on task. They're strange tongue rattled in his mind, and he found himself very much annoyed at their superstitious behavior.

Arusenna chuckled ruefully. "I bet you'd consider their fear now, wouldn't you?" Daniel raised an eyebrow at her. "Hush. You're missing the important part of the story."  
The woman leaned against the wall, sighing, nodding for him to continue.

After hours in the old temple, they came upon a large stone slab, decorated in a winding crest that seemed to resemble a Celtic knot. He ordered the men around him to raise it up, and after a grueling effort, there was enough room for him to slip through it. Suddenly, the men behind him shrieked in fear, and the stone door sealed itself shut. He ran back to it, pounding his fists against it. There was no use in his efforts, as he struggled to breath. The room in which he had entered seemed pitch black at first, but as he found himself suffocating, a faint blue light began to sparkle at the end of the cavern. With effort, Daniel pushed himself up and staggered toward it. As he neared the artifact, the blue light grew stronger. The Orb's majesty seemed to pull him in, and suddenly he was able to breathe again. He reached out, closing the light in his hands. The moment he did so, his went blind. He felt as if he had been lifted into the air, as he saw images of a great city with spiraling towers, deserts than spanned from one end of the horizon to the other, and mountains that floated in the sky as if unaffected by gravity. The last vision he saw, was of a majestic black haired woman, with ensnaring scarlet eyes, before he was shaken awake by Abdullah. The men had managed to wrestle the doorway back open, and as Daniel awoke six pieces of the Orb lie broken in his hands.

Arusenna closed her eyes and shook her head. Her fears had been confirmed. The Shadow of her people had been released. Daniel saw the look in her eyes, concern in his voice.

"So I'll ask again. Do you know who- the Shadow is?" he asked, peering at her. She nodded. "She was the woman you saw. Did she try to speak to you?" Arus asked, her yellow eyes a mixture of calm and worry.  
"No, she merely stared at me, as if I was some lost lover." Arusenna nodded. "Please, continue."

Daniel wanted to know more about what Arus knew, but he understood if he did not tell her his complete tale, she would not yield any information to him. So he continued.

As far as he knew from his diary entrees, there was a large gap between the time he found the Orb, to the time he returned home to London. A little over a month, to be exact. As he recalled, Professor Herbert had advised him to return, as he did not want to risk the rest of the expedition lest Daniel took a turn for the worse. Whatever that meant. Losing a man of Daniel's skill set was a hard decision, but Professor Herbert had his men's safety in mind, and sent him on his way back to London. Daniel himself had found that he preferred it that way. After finding his journal and making the entree, he had found the broken pieces of the Orb. He tried to piece it back together several times, but it would not come together, as if they were all from separate objects. Daniel had also remembered the Orb to be pale blue. Each of the pieces were a variety of colors, not a single one of them the color of the original piece. He wondered if the lack of oxygen had made him hallucinate in the underground chamber, pondering whether the Orb was truly ever whole. As the days passed, he continued to try to reassemble the Orb, but each piece shifted. The colors would change, and the textures would turn from smooth to gritty, as if each piece had a life of its own. Even with tar, the pieces would not come together. They slid away from each other every time, as if the pieces rebuked each other by being near one another.

"She didn't want to be trapped " Arusenna thought silently. "So she kept you from fitting the pieces back together."

In an experiment, Daniel made exact measurements, and notated the specifics of each piece, then left them alone for several hours. When he returned, he confirmed his fears. The pieces were indeed changing shape, as if gleeful little children, playing games with his mind. The next day, he had departed his home and visited the University to speak with a renowned geologist by the name of William Smith. Daniel explained his predicament to the man, and the geologist told him about the nature of stones, and how they change. He explained the nature of volcanic glass, how after time, it will cave in on itself, much like ice as it melts over the course of centuries. The man put his mind at ease, if only slightly, but it did not explain to him how the Orb pieces were shifting so quickly. When he returned home that night, he felt as if he was being watched, and somehow knew that the shards were not of an earthly origin.

Daniel looked up expectantly at Arusenna, waiting for some sort of snide comment about his mortal ignorance, but she was silent, merely listening. Daniel hesitated a few moments, before resuming the tale.

After some time, he received a letter from the Algerian governor's office, regarding the fate of Herbert's expedition. Just a week after his departure, the man Abdullah, had returned from the desert. His body was riddled with cruel slashes, as if some great cat had ripped into his flesh and left him to die. When the governor's men got a hold of him, the man rambled on and on about their expedition being attacked by some type of horrid creature. The French soldiers dispatched a search party quickly to find the rest of the expedition. When they arrived, they found only the pitched hide tents, and an abandoned research camp. There was absolutely no sign of Herbert or his men. Daniel remembered the sense of worry he felt for the Professor, as he prepared to leave for the custom's house. When he had arrived, he had collected Herbert's things from the expedition, digging through the various documents about the expedition. He found a log detailing everything from quick notes, to colorful accounts of transpired events. Skimming the pages, he searched for something that would explain the mauled man. He was unsuccessful in that regard, but he did find something about himself. In a diary entree, it stated quite dryly, "recovered Daniel after one hour of entrapment". What confused Daniel was that he himself had begun suffocating in just a few minutes. There was no way he could've lasted an hour. He thumbed through the rest of the strange text, gathering that dementia had begun to spread through the ranks of Herbert's men, and the professor had to take very drastic measures to keep them working. Then finally, the Professor visited the Orb chamber himself, and retrieved the Orb that Daniel had seen. The man looked up from the text, a chill running down his spine. If Herbert had the Orb, then what were the broken pieces in his drawing room?

Arusenna interjected this time. "An illusory spell. It is likely the Shadow set that as a trap for the Professor. If you had already left with the broken pieces, then she would have been free to feed. So she set an illusory spell, manipulating them all like puppets, and taking their lives before any could leave the vicinity of the temple."

Daniel pocketed a tinderbox from the desk, peering at the woman searchingly. "Who is she?"

Arusenna rolled a small piece of paper between her fingertips, ripped from a stray book page on the floor. "A legend. She lived many years before I, or even Alexander. She fought for the people, against a ruthless ruler and in the end was banished here. It is said before she was trapped in the Orb, her soul took on the form of a mighty, terrifying Shadow, that nearly took the ruler's life before she was ripped away and cast into Banishment. It would seem alarmingly, that the legend has proven to be true. Now, due to the Orb you found being shattered, she is free to reign terror on your world."

Daniel felt an icy fear form in the pit of his stomach as she explained what the Shadow was. He could hear her howls in the dark corners of his mind, far away, and yet so very close.

"D-Did she have a name in the legend?" he asked, trying to shy away from the howling in his head. Arusenna nodded, her eyes sad.  
"Shienna "

As she spoke the name, the whole room quivered and the temperature suddenly dropped. It felt as if ice stabbed into their veins, the room turning red for just a split second, the howl of the Shadow echoing in their ears. Arusenna thought she caught a glimpse of the black haired woman before it vanished and her vision returned to normal. She cleared her throat.

"So, was that all? Or did you discover more?" she inquired.

Daniel nodded to her, leading her back to the room where he found the Machine Room Key. Another worn slip of paper was on the desk and he handed it to her. She took it, reading aloud. Daniel found himself somewhat lost in her voice. It was perplexing to hear someone else tell his story.

"4th of July, 1839.

It's done! The Orb is assembled! I was awakened by an exhausting nightmare. Shaking and sweating, I returned to the drawing room with a cup of tea. The relic pieces lay strewn about my table, where I'd left them. But somehow, I knew how it was supposed to be. I fetched the tar, which I had prepared to fit the pieces together, without fault; I joined them, producing the Orb I remembered so clearly. The tar proved unnecessary. It was pushed out from the joining pieces, as they merged on their own, with no adhesive. The ancient stone relic now rests on my table. Its immaculate surface and perfect shape could have been molded by a factory. This is all too strange."

She peered down at it as she stopped reading, puzzled by his ability to reforge an Orb after its destruction.

"Wonder where it is now " Daniel muttered quietly.

Arusenna nodded. "I hope for our sakes we find it." She said, striding towards the bed at the other end of the Guest Room. "We'll need it to escape this place " she thought quietly to herself. She sat down on the bed, rubbing her temples. She cursed this place for being so dry of vitae, that her very presence forced withdrawals for energy on her body. How did Alexander solve that problem?

"Daniel. I'm going to sleep. I need to if I'm going to be of any use to us." She paused as the man strode into the room. "I suggest you do as well. You'll need it."

With that she laid herself down, draping an arm over her eyes. She contemplated the hazards of leaving herself open, but she had confidence that her wards would hold long enough for her to rest.

Her dreams were a haze of painful memories

~~"Alexander, for theft of scrolls from the Council Arcanum, and heresy against the High Council Rule, you are hereby Banished from this realm, to live a life of suffering, until your body diminishes." A low, powerful voice spoke. "With all due respect High Indoctrinator, he has done nothing wrong! Alexander sought to teach the people in the arts of the Arcane. He does not seek to overthrow you! He only-" Arusenna began, but was silenced, as a Royal Guard slammed his staff into her gut. She doubled over, coughing.  
"Be silent, Arusenna! You are as guilty as Alexander in this matter, for you did not take action to sway his madness!" the voice shouted at her. The memory grew distorted, and the voices muffled, until a sharp rap sounded. "Carry out the sentence!" the voice cried. Arusenna could feel her arms being restrained, and she cried out.  
"NO! Stop! You can't do this!" she screamed, fighting against her captor. She saw the blurred form of Alexander kneeling before her. She escaped her captor's grasp, and ran for him, but just as she reached him, he disapeared. Just out of reach ~~

She awoke screaming.  
"ALEXANDER!" she shot up, her fingers clawing into the emerald sheets. Her body quivered involuntarily, and her breaths came in small hitching gasps. She jumped as she felt a warm hand touch her shoulder.

"Nightmares?" Daniel inquired, a book on the history of the Americas in his lap. Arusenna swore she saw Alexander for a moment, before the vision faded away and her eyes settled on Daniel. She looked away from him, swallowing. Her voice was weak, and raspy.

"M-Memories reminders of why I'm here." She whispered.

Before Daniel's curiosity could take advantage of her, Arusenna sighed.  
"How long did I sleep?"

"Nearly six hours. The sun is just setting. I'd advise against venturing the castle at night, as the note on the Gatherers stated they were more active in the dark. But we don't have time to wait." Daniel said, setting the book on the dresser and standing. He stretched, pulling his jacket on and grabbing the lantern. He nodded toward the door to the Back Hall.

"Shall we then?"

Arusenna nodded, flexing her fingers and feeling her power renewed. She was strong enough to defend them if the need arose. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, standing and coming to stand near him. She stared into his eyes for a split second longer than Daniel thought necessary, before she looked away and exited the Guest Room. 


	7. Chapter 7 Interlude 1

~Return~ Amnesia:The Dark Descent Interlude 1: The Survivor

Arusenna screamed in terror as the first blast hit the walls of her home. Fire roared outside, and she could hear the screams of her people around her. Her mother touched a hand to her shoulder, and smiled, as if to reassure her daughter.  
"It's time for us to go."  
Arusenna shook her head. "B-but what about father? What about the others?"  
Her mother took her hand and ran out of the back door of their home as a second blast shook its walls. "They will hold back the High Council's forces until we can get to safety! Hurry child!" Both were thrown to the ground by a mighty shockwave, and they turned their heads to look. Their home had been crushed by a flaming boulder from a cruel war machine. "M-mother why can't they come with us?" Arus whispered, standing up shakily. The girl's mother watched in horror as her allies fell one by one to the high council's wrath. " They will come child. But we must go!"  
Arusenna jerked her hand back. "No! Tell me where we're going! Why can't Father come with us?" she yelled, adrenaline pumping through her veins. The heat of the fire and screams of her friends were hard to hear over her beating heart. "We do not have time for this Arus! They're fighting for us so we can live!" her mother shouted, grabbing Arus's hand and running. "We flee for the Sanctum."  
They both froze as a pained scream echoed through the burning forest. It was the voice of her father. Arusenna turned and watched in horror as a man in black plate armor impaled her father on the end of a cruel, toothed sword. The armored man kicked him off his blade, his red eyes settling on Arusenna. He pointed a finger towards her, the shadowy silhouettes of council warhounds appearing through the flames. Arusenna's mother rushed in front of her, a spell already on her lips. "Run Arus! Flee to the Sanctum. A man will be waiting for you there!" Arusenna had already turned to run as the warhounds descended upon her Mother. Before the woman's last breath came, Arus heard her say. "You will know him when you see his eyes "  
Arusenna could no longer keep the tears back as she ran for her life, the frenzied howls of the warhounds and the shouts of the High Council soldiers close behind her. The acrid smell of burning bodies and smoke made her feel sick, her eyes stinging as she ran.  
The warhounds closed quickly, surrounding her and prowling close. The hound's eyes burned and liquid fire dripped from their mouths as they growled at her. Arusenna looked around frantically, trapped like a cornered animal. The man who had killed her father strode through the fire, and gazed at Arusenna. "Your kind is a pestilence on this world. Scrounging through the muck, to find any magical secret you can, and exploit it. Thieves all of you." He muttered. "Kill her!" the man commanded, turning his back from the scene. The council warhounds roared, leaping for her.  
Arusenna ducked away from the first, muttering a word of power. Two of the hounds were blown away with a gust of wind, another suffocating as the air was pulled from its lungs. She screamed as two bit into her legs, another jumping up and pushing her down. She fell back, the beast landing on her chest. She fought to keep it from tearing into her throat, water materializing over her fingers and flooding into the creature's eyes. It howled in pain and leapt away from her, blinded. She wrestled herself away from the two hounds that had bitten her legs, panting heavily as blood drained from lacerations and bite wounds all over her body. The hounds closed in and lunged, Arus letting her shoulders slouch in exhausted defeat, closing her eyes. The pain never came, as two arcs of glorious blue fire fell from the sky and wrapped themselves around the warhounds. They yelped and squealed, trying to escape as the flames burned their essences to ash. Arusenna opened her eyes to see, her vision blurred from blood loss. She felt something grab her shoulders, a deep, grating voice filling her mind.  
"Sleep now. You are safe." It said, before a comforting blackness clouded over her mind and she lost consciousness.  
(1 Week Later)  
Arusenna could hear muffled voices in the backround, as she slowly cracked her eyes open. They quieted as soon as they realized she was coming to. "Thank the Divine! She lives!" someone shouted, Arus flinching away from the noise.  
"Quiet Io. We are strangers to her we don't want her to be afraid."  
That voice Arusenna forced herself awake, opening her eyes completely. At first, she saw the roof, a smooth stony surface, inlaid with glowing runes. She could sense power in those runes, as she looked for the voice.  
She froze as she saw him. Her mother's voice echoed through her mind.  
"You will know him when you see his eyes "the ghostly whisper said, and Arus shuddered.  
The man in question stared back at her in silence. His eyes were a shade of liquid gold that snared Arus's attention like a gnat to a bright light. Another man stood behind him, this one built like a giant, at least a foot taller than Arus. He had a crop of messy black hair, and deep brown eyes. He watched her quietly, though clearly excited she was awake.  
"Where am I who are you?" Arus ground out, her voice dry with lack of use. The man with the golden eyes spoke first. "You are in my Sanctum. My name is Alexander." He was young, yet there was a wisdom in his eyes that hinted he was much older than he looked. He wore a deep red overcoat, decorated with gold borders and a small letter "A", on his right shoulder. His hair was silver like moonlight, and fell down his face neatly. Arusenna nodded, looking down. Tears she could not control welled in her eyes.  
"My parents they're dead aren't they?" she managed. Alexander closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry."  
Arusenna could see the pain on his face. Had he known them? "My Mother before she fell, she told me you would be waiting for me. Why is that?"  
"You're parents came to me for guidance not long ago. They had seen your power within the Arcane growing, and they needed someone to be able to keep their daughter safe when the time came. The recent hunts by High Desecrator Mirsoth, the man who killed your father, had them worried." Alexander explained, obvious grief in his eyes. "It is to my regret, that I was unable to predict Mirsoth's attack on your home sooner."  
Arusenna fought back her grief, nodding. "What of the others? D-did anyone make it?"  
Alexander shook his head. "No. You are the only survivor. When I found you, your wounds were great. We barely had time to heal them before you bled out completely."  
Arusenna felt a cold loneliness envelop her as she realized she was the only one left. Anger boiled in her blood, when she thought of the High Council and their need for bloodshed. Alexander sensed her thoughts, and placed a gentle hand over hers. Surprisingly, she did not flinch away.  
"I understand your anger toward the High Council. We have all felt its wrath. But do not dwell on it. Rage is a sickness that turns black and festers in your soul. I'll give you some time to get a clear mind, and contemplate your situation. When you are ready, find me in the Antechamber." He said, standing and walking out. "Come Io. She has much to ponder "

Arusenna felt the urge to speak up, but she did not. She wanted him to stay as she cradled the hand he had touched. It tingled with warmth, Arusenna slowly finding her anger for the council diminishing. Alexander he felt familiar somehow.  
Arusenna took a chance to look herself over. Her body ached all over, but the lacerations and scorch marks from the warhounds were gone, healed so well that there wasn't any scarring. She leaned her head back against the pillow provided, thinking. As the night progressed, and she thought more and more about her parents, she found herself beginning to weep. She turned over and cried into the pillow, curling in on herself as the pain of such a loss tore her to pieces. Everything she knew was gone, everyone she loved dead. She felt cold, yet the warmth on her hand still persisted, and somehow it provided comfort.  
(Three)(The Next Day)  
It was late in the day when Arusenna finally coaxed her body off of the plush bed she had been left on. She tested her legs, surprised that she could walk just fine. "Wow they pieced me back together perfectly " she muttered, allowing herself to stretch. A cool draft of air blew in from the outside as the door cracked open, and it was to Arusenna's dismay that she realized she was unclothed, except for bandages over her chest and upper thighs. She looked around for anything to cover herself, spotting the jacket Alexander had been wearing the night before. She snatched it up quickly, just barely slipping her arms through the sleeves and pulling it around herself before the figure came through the door completely. It was Io, the giant of a man who accompanied Alexander. He chuckled at Arus's appearance. Alexander's jacket was a bit long on her, the sleeves dangling down far enough that only her fingertips could be seen. Her hair was frizzy from just waking up and her cheeks were a rosy pink.  
"Ah, good to see you found that. Alexander left it for you." He tossed her a pair of worn black boots. "Here. They may be a little big, but they'll do till we can find you clothes that fit." He chuckled again. "You look good in that."  
She caught them, glaring at him as he closed the door, pulling the boots on and fastening the ties on Alexander's jacket so it would stay enclosed around her body. She sighed, combing her fingers through her hair in a meager attempt to straighten it out. The cold feeling of grief was still heavy on her heart, but there was a warmth she felt just by being within the Sanctum that made it easier to deal with. She felt safe. After several more moments of pondering herself, she left the room. She felt a sense of awe as she walked through the vast, mesmerizing halls of the Sanctum. It was a feat of both Arcane power and stone masonry, the smooth walls covered in glowing magical runes. Above her head, loomed huge stones that floated as if they were feathers, blowing in the wind.  
It was easy enough to find the Antechamber, a vast hall that could've easily housed a few hundred people within. Alexander stood at the center, with several other people sitting around him. He seemed to be discussing something, but Arusenna was far enough away that she could not hear. She watched him silently in the dimly lit hallway, trying to figure out the puzzle that was Alexander. She waited for nearly an hour before Alexander was finished. From what she could glean, the people crowded around him were students. She did not have time to ponder it, as the students dispersed and Alexander immediately strode in her direction. "Ah, Arusenna. It is good to see you are awake." He said, smiling. "I trust Io was not too much of a disturbance." Arusenna smiled in return and shook her head. "No not at all." She fumbled with the edge of the jacket she wore. "I feel strange asking this but where are my clothes?"  
Alexander chuckled, gesturing for her to follow him. "Unfortunatley they could not be salvaged. What hadn't been ripped into or burnt off by the warhounds, was so caked with blood we merely threw the rags out."  
Arusenna nodded, her mind lost in thought. Alexander cleared his throat. "But, I can sense you could really care less about what you're wearing. You want to know why you're here, and how I knew your parents, do you not?" he inquired, seeing through her mask of tired cheerfulness easily. Arusenna sighed. "Yes I would like to know that."  
Alexander nodded. "Your eventual arrival here was inevitable, as your parents planned for you to stay here when you came of age since the day you were born. They knew a child of two talented wielders of the Arcane like themselves would be a protige in the making, and I felt it was best to tutor you myself." He looked over at her. "I did visit often when you were growing up, though I would be surprised if you remembered."  
Arusenna shook her head. "I can't remember anything significant. But you felt familiar " she muttered quietly. "So your Sanctum you train others to use the Arcane and fight back against the High Council?"  
Alexander nodded. "I bring up students to wield the Arcane if they choose to. But I do not do it to fight against the High Council. They seek power without restraint, and there is nothing to be done about it. But holding back magic, our given birthright, is unacceptable."  
Arusenna did not pay much attention to her surroundings as she followed him through the glorious halls of the Sanctum. Though simple in design, and devoid of much embellishment, the vast halls felt like home.  
Alexander looked behind him, noticing Arusenna had stopped to look around. He smiled apologetically. "I apologize, I'm beginning to chatter. Come, your room is this way."  
Arusenna blinked, embarrassed she had tuned him out. She quickened her steps to walk side by side with him, a curious glint in her eyes.  
"So, how did you know my parents?" she asked, as they turned a corner into a maze-like cave, the only light provided by brightly glowing blue runes.  
Alexander smiled at her. "In times before you were born, your Father taught students here at the Sanctum. He taught me everything I know. He passed the Sanctum onto me a few years before you were born, and now, I shall teach you just as he taught me."  
The mention of her father brought further grief on her heart, and Alexander could sense it. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as they stopped in front of a heavy wooden door.  
"I know the pain is still close. There is little I can offer to ease it away, but know your parent's sacrifice was not in vain, for you still stand here now." He squeezed her shoulder gently. "It was not your fault."  
Arusenna looked down at her feet, nodding. "I know." She sighed heavily. "Thank you. For saving me."  
Alexander smiled, his eyes caring. "There is no need to thank me, but you are welcome." He nodded to the door. "The day is yours. Your training will start tomorrow morning. I'll bring you something that fits as well." He said, chuckling. Arusenna couldn't help but laugh with him, as he turned from her. She watched him until he was out of sight, before turning to the door and striding within. It was spacious, nearly double the size of the room in her parent's home. In the right hand corner was a simple bed, devoid of much else than that. On the left, was a decent sized wooden writing desk, and several books on the spectrums of the Arcane. She had no doubt she would be delving into the books contents in the coming days, as she unfastened Alexander's jacket, letting it fall from her shoulders. A chill went up her spine as a small draft of air licked her shoulders. Instinctively, she looked back at the door, her hand reaching for the jacket. The door to her room was still closed, and she sighed heavily, sitting down on the bed. (The Following Day)  
Arusenna had spent the night perusing the contents of the books in her room, trying to see if any of the books contents yielded something new from what she already understood. She found very little, and had gone to bed soon after. When she awoke, Alexander's overcoat was missing, and in its place was a pile of neatly folded clothing.  
The entire outfit consisted of a long brown overcoat, that was split down the middle. Small ties riddled the inner edges, so the wearer could leave as much of it open as they wished. To be worn underneath it, was a durable cloth black top, made for support. Along with that, was a simple pair of dark grey trousers, and black riding boots.  
Arusenna admired it, as she stretched and twisted to test how well it fit. It was perfect. She leapt in fright as a loud knock resounded through the room. She jumped for the door, pulling it open. Alexander had his hand in the air to knock again, somewhat surprised at how hard she pulled open the door. He paused to look her over, smiling. "Good to see that fits you. Are you ready to begin?"  
Arusenna felt a slight fear in her gut as she realized he was referring to her training. She nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be."  
Alexander chuckled. "Good. Follow me."  
The two walked in silence to the Antechamber, where Io stood waiting with two other figures. Both were women, one quite tall and very lithe, the other somewhat short and very childish. The tall one sized Arus up. "So this is the supposed protige? I'll believe it when I see it." The taller woman sneered.  
The shorter one slapper her arm. "Be quiet! You're just mad cause we got another girl student!" Alexander shook his head. "Enough. Arusenna, I'd like you to meet Saturnlyn and Karin. They are assistant instructors, along with Io, who you've already met."  
Arusenna peered at them both, somewhat hesitant in greeting them. Saturnlyn, the taller woman, easily stood a few inches taller than Arus, her eyes a bright intimidating blue. The woman wore an assortment of clothing that made her look like some city thief, a curved sword at her hip. Her dark brown hair was kept back in a ponytail, and she looked at Arus with some disdain in her eyes. Karin on the other hand, looked quite happy to see her. The little girl had a crop of silky black hair that went down to her shoulders. She was dressed in simple clothing that made her look very boyish. Her eyes were by far the most memorable thing about her, larger than they should've been and a shade of vibrant pink, they seemed to look through Arus's soul. Karin, like Alexander, was likely much older than she looked. Arusenna bowed her head to them. "I hope to prove myself in the coming days " she muttered quietly. Karin offered her a kind smile, while Saturnlyn shrugged, walking to the edge of the vast room. "Hope has nothing to do with you proving yourself in my eyes "  
Alexander placed a hand on Arus's shoulder. "Do not mind Saturnlyn. She is hard on everyone." Arusenna did not feel much better, unable to grasp why the woman seemed to hate her for no reason.  
"Get into the center of the room, and we shall begin." She heard Alexander say, before Io shoved her toward the center. She did not realize the white chalk line she walked over until it was too late. The entire room lit up with blue light, the floating stones from above spinning together to form some sort of gargantuan golem. Arusenna paled as the golem stood to its full height, opening it's would be mouth and letting out a deep bellow that sounded like boulders smashing against each other. Adrenaline kicked in as the golem brought down a huge rocky fist, Arusenna ducking away from it and running around the outskirt of the circle. She threw several spells at the creature, but to no avail, it kept coming at her, completely unharmed. Alexander watched her dodge and dance away from the golem's strikes, mentally trying to counter everything she did with his golem.  
The trio of assistant instructors watched her with glee, knowing full well what to expect. Io nudged Saturnlyn with his elbow. "How long till you think she figures it out?" The woman chuckled. "Twenty minutes." Io laughed. "I give her ten." Karin shook her head. "You two are terrible."  
Arusenna struggled to keep up as the golem seemed to get better and better at countering her. Sweat poured from her forehead, and her muscles screamed for reprieve. She looked desperately toward Alexander. The man watched her intensely.  
"What am I supposed to do to it?" she yelled, rolling away as the golem's foot came down to smash her. Alexander walked the outside of the circle, his eyes never leaving the girl. "I want you to destroy it."  
Arusenna at first thought this was some sort of test of her endurance, but now she was confused. "But golems can't be destroyed, they're attached to their creator's souls aren't they? They're invincible!" she cried, hurling a bolt of icy water at the creature's head. It splashed into it harmlessly, forcing Arus to dodge another attack. Alexander stopped directly behind Arusenna, his hands behind his back, golden eyes settled on her. "Then why are you attacking the golem?" he said, smirking.  
Arusenna froze as it finally clicked in her head. She leapt away from one final strike from the golem, turning on her heel and sprinting for Alexander. The spell was on her lips, icy winds dancing around her fingertips. She leapt into the air, pointing a finger at him. A torrent of fierce winds flew at the man, strong enough to rip his skin off if it hit him. At the last second, he brought his hand up, a wall of blue fire catching the winds and burning them away. By this point, Arus was right where she wanted to be. She turned in the air, bringing her foot down to hit Alexander in the side of the head. He brought up his hand, leaning away and catching her foot, letting gravity carry her forward into his counter. He reached up, planting his hand firmly beneath her ribs, her own momentum turning her in the air. He pushed down with force, sending the girl's body into the ground. She coughed as the air was forced from her lungs, rolling onto her side and coughing hard. Alexander helped her to stand, nodding. "Impressive. Very few have actually figured out I was the puppeteer before the golem knocked them unconscious."  
Arusenna moaned in response, an arm wrapped around her stomach. The trio watched from across the room. Karin grinned. "Took her seven minutes. You both lose." 


End file.
